“Solove reflects on the challenges posed by technology to privacy. According to the author, a law professor specializing in intellectual property, the “dizzying pace of changing technologies” constitutes a profound challenge to the protection of privacy, one that largely has not been met with an adequate response. . . . He’s been thinking about this important issue for a quarter century, and as a result his reflections achieve an admirable depth. For such a brief study—the book is not much longer than 100 pages—an extraordinary expanse of intellectual territory is traversed with rigor and subtlety. A stimulating overview of one of the central issues of our time.” — Kirkus Reviews

“On Privacy and Technology offers scholars and nonexperts alike a diagnosis about what’s wrong with privacy law, written by none other than the ‘dean’ of the privacy law field. Professor Solove uses his unmatched knowledge of privacy law and keen analytical mind to dispel common myths about privacy and to direct readers, particularly policymakers, toward vanguard solutions that aim to create accountability for bad actors in the information economy. Reading On Privacy and Technology is both a tour through privacy law scholarship over the last thirty years but also a roadmap for the future. It is both accessible and essential reading. Highly recommend.” — Ari Ezra Waldman, Professor of Law, University of California, Irvine School of Law, and author of Industry Unbound

“No one is better positioned than Daniel Solove to write this definitive book on privacy and technology. Solove draws from decades of experience in privacy law and theory to tell a clear and concise story of how privacy-invasive technology avoids government restraint, and what society can do to take back control. I recommend this book to new entrants and old hats alike; On Privacy and Technology is a must read for anyone interested in this critical issue of our time.” — Ryan Calo, Lane Powell and D. Wayne Gittinger, Professor, University of Washington School of Law

“A deeply insightful look at myriad dimensions of information privacy. Paths a constructive way forward for effective privacy regulation of tech in our digital age.” — Paul M. Schwartz, Jefferson E. Peyser Professor of Law, Berkeley Law School

“To avoid a dystopian future, we must demand that the law take a different path. We must dispel all the myths that prevent regulatory progress. We need laws that stop putting the onus on ill-equipped individuals to protect their own privacy and that start holding organizations accountable for the consequences they cause. We must insist that policymakers abandon antiquated and simplistic notions of privacy and address privacy in its full nuance and complexity. The law must move beyond rote and hollow compliance exercises and toward a deeper approach rooted in ethical judgment. The law must be unwavering in core ethical principles such as accountability but flexible and nuanced in how to implement these principles in practice.

It all begins with how we see and understand privacy and technology. Privacy must no longer be trivialized or viewed as solely an individual preference. Privacy is an essential social value, and it undergirds many other key social values such as freedom and democracy. We must question the framing and metaphors that shape our conception of digital technologies. We must look beyond what appears to be neutral, and we must see the oft-concealed human elements within technology. We must recognize that technology is always created with power and for power; it is a tool created by humans and wielded by humans for human aims.  We can’t be reticent about regulating technological design, for it is an exercise of power with dramatic implications for privacy.”